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BOTTLE CORKING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

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B. ERMOLD. v BOTTLE GORKING MACHINE.

No. 487,387. Patented Dec. 6, 1892.-

Il Il i l UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD ERMOLD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLE-CORKING MACHINE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 487,387, dated December 6, 1892..

Application led October 3, 1890. Renewed September 22, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD ERMoLD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Oorking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements on the bottle-corking machine for which Letters Patent were granted to me under date of May 6, 1890, No. 427,258, said improvements being designed with a View to improve the motion of the plunger and squeezer in such a manner that a primary squeezing action takes place by which the moisture contained in the cork is expressed, so that the same can be wiped away from the bottom of the cork, upon which the final compression of the cork and the inserting of the same into the bottle-mouth is accomplished.

The invention consists of a bottle-corking machine in which the cork guiding and compressing tube is formed of an upper portion having an open rear part and a conically-tapering lower portion, a reciprocating squeezer entering into the open rear part of the corkguiding tube, a reciprocating plunger in line with said tube, and mechanism for accomplishing the downward motion of the plunger in two steps, the first step forcing the partlycompressed cork into the lower portion of the guide-tube and the second step forcing the cork through said lower portion, so as to impart the final compression to the same.

The invention consists, further, of the specific construction of the cork guiding and compressing tube and of certain additional details of construction,which will be fully described hereinafter, and nally pointed out in the claims. n

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a side elevation of my improved bottle-corking machine, taken from one side of the same. Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken from the other side. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the upper part of the machine, showing the operative parts and their actuating-cams in section. Fig. 4 is a detail section of the cork-compressing tube and of the squeezer by which the corkis compressed, and Figs. 5 and 6 are a detail top Again renewed May 11J 1892. Serial No. 432,577. (No model.)

chine, on which are supported two tables A and A2, one above the other. At the front end of the lower table A is arranged a cork guiding and compressing tube B, and vertically above the same a reciprocating plunger C, which is guided in a fixed guide-sleeve O at the front end of the upper table A2. The upper rear part of the cork guiding and compressing tube B is open, so as to permit the entrance of a horizontally-reciprocating squeezer D.

The corks are supplied from a chute E by au automatcal.cork-feeding mechanism and arrested in their downward motion by a corkarresting device F, which parts are all described in my prior patent referred to and which form no partof the present invention.

The reciprocating plunger O and the squeezer D receive motion from an intermediate cam-shaft S', to which rotary motion is imparted from a driving main shaft S, that is supported in bearings of the supportingframe A. The driving-shaft receives rotary motion by a belt-and-pulley transmission in the usual manner. Vertically below the plunger C and cork-compressing tube B is arranged a bottle support or platform G, on which the bottle is placed and by which it is raised up against the cork-compressing tube B by means of a treadle T and a treadle motion, which is preferably made according to the construction for which Letters Patent No. 427,227, dated May 6, 1890, were granted to me. This treadle motion has the object of starting the machine, so that by each downward motion of the treadle the machine is operated.

Instead of imparting to the plunger C a continuous downward motion from the camshaft S, as in my prior patent referred to, the downward motion is performed in two separate steps, the first step having for its object the forcing of the partly-compressed cork into the tapering opening of the corkcompressing tube B, while the second step IOO [ general use.

5o means of a suitable spring.

6o clearly in Fig. 5.

5 mit the wiping away of the moisture that is expressed from the cork by means of the finger of the attendant, the finger being passed over the bottom of the cork while the same is located in the cork-compressing tube B.

Io This is an important feature of my invention,

as by this arrangement the moisture expressed from the cork is removed and prevented from being transferred with the cork into the bottle, as in the bottling-machines in By removing the moisture and the cork-dust and other impure matter contained in the same a very objectionable feature in bottling-namely, the mixture of this moisture with the contents of the bottle-is zo prevented.

For the purpose of imparting tothe plunger C the primary motion and the final motion a cam C2 is keyed to the shaft S, which cam is provided with a detachable and interchangeable nose C3 of such a size that itproduces the primary downward motion or first step in the motion of the plunger, while the remaining part of the cam, which is of greater eccentricity than the nose C3, imparts the 3o final motion to the plunger.

The intermediate mechanism between the cam and plunger consists of a verticallyguided rod C4, having an anlifriction-roller at its lower end that rests on the cam C2 C3, and

of a fulcrumed lever C5, that is connected at 4o The antifriction-roller at the lower end of the vertical guide-rod C4 is kept in contact with the surface of the cam C2 C3 by a strong spiral spring C, that is attached to the supporting-frame A,and a rearwardly-extending heel of said rod, as shown in Fig. 3.

The squeezer D receives horizontal reciprocating motion by a cam D2 on the cam-shaft S', against which cam the rear end of the shank D of the squeezer D is pressed by The rear end of the shank D is provided with an antifrictionroller in the same manner as the vertical guide-rod C4 of the plunger mechanism, so as to reduce the friction Vas much as possible.

The shank D is guided in a box D3, that is attached to the table A', while the front part of the squeezer is provided with a cross-piece D4, having guide-pins d d, which enter into perforations of fixed guide-pieces d', as shown The reciprocating motion of the squeezer D also operates the cork-arresting device F, which is arranged vertically above the squeezer and which regulates the' supply of the corks to the cork guiding and compressing tube B. The front end of the squeezer D is made concave, so as to form a circle with the upper part of the cork-compressing tube B.

lhe rotary motion of the driving-shaft S is transmitted to the camshaft S by means of two transmitting gear-wheels g g', of which the diameter of the gear-wheel g is equal to one-half of the diameter of the gear-wheel g', so that the latter performs half a rotation for each full rotation of the gear-wheel'g. The proportion of the diameter of the transmitting gear-wheels being one to two, it follows that one half of the circumference of the upper gear-wheel g produces one half of the motion of the plunger, while the'circumference of the second half of said gearwheel produces the second part of the downward motion of the plunger C. To produce this motion, it is necessary to impart two depressions to the treadle, the first depression producing the first half of the motion of the plungers and the second depression the second half of the same, in connection with the intermediate treadle motion by which the driving-shaft is started and arrested. The

lfirst depression of the treadle T turns the cam C2 so thatthe nose C3 operates the plunger C, while the second depression brings the remaining part of the cam C2 C3 into action, so that the plungeris depressed to its full extent and withdrawn to its normal position. The nose C3on the cam C2 is interchangeable, so as to regulate thereby the length of the primary stroke of the plunger Cin exact proportion to the length of the cork, a longer cork requiring a comparatively-shorter primary motion, while a shorter cork requires a cCmparatively-longer motion.

The cork guiding and compressing tube B is formed of two partsan upper part b, having an open rear portion, which works in connection with the squeezer D and which is attached by bolts h to the table A', and alower part b2, which has a conically-tapering opening b3 for the passage of the cork and adownwardlyextending segmental iiange b4, which serves as a rest for the bottle-head. The lower part b2 is attached by bolts b5 to the up` per part b, as shown in Figs-4 and 6. By eX- changing the lower part b2 the machine is adapted for corking bottles having dierent sizes of mouths, in which case the conical opening b3 of the lower part b2 is made larger or smaller, according to the size of the cork to be forced into the mouth of the bottle. rIhe diameter of the upper end of the tapering opening b3 remains the same with all sizes of corks, while the taper of the opening, or, in other words, the diameter of the lower end of the opening, is eitherlarger or smaller, so that-the required degree of compression is imparted to corks of larger or smaller size. At'the lower end of the tapering opening is arranged a flaring portion b, that serves not only as a guide for the linger in wiping the bottom of the cork after the same has received IOO IIO

its primary compression, but also as a rest Y for the upper edge or rim of the bottle-head, whereby the passage of the cork from the compressing-tube B into the bottle-mouth is facilitated.

By making the lower part of the cork-compressing tube detachable, so as to permit its interchange with tubes of different sizes, the usefulness of the machine is greatly enhanced, inasmuch as all sizes of bottles can be corked by the same. The compressing of the cork in two steps has another important advantagenam ely, that the structure of the cork is not injured, as is the case when only one compression takes place, in which frequently the squeezer produces indentations or marks on the cork. This is entirely avoided by my machine, as the final compression takes place in the tapering opening b3 of the lower part b2 of the cork-compressing tube B, while only the primary compression is produced by the squeezer, so that the cork is transferred into the bottle-mouth without any injury or structural change being imparted to the same. It is necessary after the corking action has taken place that the machine is at rest until the next depression isim parted to the treadle.

For quickly operating the machine a clutch mechanism is employed, which is fully described in my prior patent, No. 427,258.

For stopping the parts after the corking action has taken place a brake is employed, which is made of a steel band h, that is attached at one end to the lower table A and passed around a portion of the circumference of a friction-disk h on the driving-shaft S. The opposite brake-band h is attached to a clamp h2, the threaded shank of which passes through a guide-collar 77.3 on the table A2, it being attached thereto by means of a thumbscrew h4, by which the clamp is adjusted higher or lower, so as to produce a greater or smaller friction on the disk h. The brakeband serves to neutralize the concussions and shocks which are exerted on the driving-shaft by the actions of the squeezer and plunger.

The operation of my improved corking-machine is in its general features the same as that of the machine described in Letters Patent No. 427,258, with the difference that the motion of the plunger takes place in two steps, by which a better compressing action is exerted on the cork and the wiping of the bottom of the cork facilitated, so as to prevent the exudation from the cork from being mixed with the contents of the bottle. This feature, in connection with the interchangeable lower part of the cork guiding and compressing tube form the essential points of novelty of the present application and the improvements on the machine described in my prior patent, No. 427,258.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination, with a fixed cork guiding and compressing tube formed of an upper portion having an open rear part and a conically-tap'ering lower portion, of a reciprocating squeezer adapted to enter the upper portion of the cork-guiding tube, a reciprocating plunger guided in line with said tube, and mechanism whereby the downward motion of the plunger is accomplished in two steps, the lirst step forcing the partly-compressed cork into the lower part of the cork-guiding tube, while the second step forces the cork through said lower part and imparts thereby the inal compression to the cork, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with a xed cork guiding and compressing tube formed of an upper portion having an open rear part and a conically-tapering lower portion, of a reciprocating squeezer adapted to enter the open rear part of the cork guiding tube, a plunger guided in line with said tube, a rotary shaft having a plain cam and a cam provided with a projecting nose, and actuating mechanisms interposed, respectively, between the plain cam and the squeezer and the nosed cam and the plunger, whereby the primary compression of the cork is imparted by the squeezer and the final compression by the plunger and lower portion of the cork-guiding tube, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a cork guiding and compressing tube having a lower conically-tapering portion, of a vertically-reciprocating plunger, a cam-shaft having a cam provided with a projecting nose, intermediate mechanism between said cam and plunger, a rotary driving-shaft, and transmitting gearwheels between the driving-shaft and camshaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD ERMOLD. Witnesses:

' PAUL GOEPEL, MARION HALL.

IOO 

